Classics and innovation: bold ideas for gazebo lighting
Content
Outdoor Lighting
To begin with, consider the simplest options:
- Solar powered lanterns. Best suited for illuminating the garden path to which the gazebo is connected. Such lights are inexpensive, they turn on automatically when there is insufficient light. Their only drawback is the small volume of the built-in battery, as well as the impossibility of their full operation in the winter season, since the batteries are destroyed at temperatures below 0 ° C.
- Garland. One of the variations of decorative lighting. Easy to assemble. There are models adapted for connection to 12 V, that is, they can also work from a car battery. Due to the fact that diodes are used as lighting elements in them, the garland consumes a minimum of electricity.
- LED strips. So-called RGB tapes are especially popular now. They are inexpensive, look attractive, and you can also customize the color of the lighting yourself. And for those who understand Arduino, you can even program such tapes. They are connected both to a regular 220 V network using a power supply, and to 12 V. Tapes are mounted around the perimeter of the gazebo above the roof. Another advantage is their compact size, you can even mount a "hidden" backlight.
It is worth considering that outdoor lighting is mainly used for decoration. Spotlights, bright lights are not the best choice.
Video "Do-it-yourself budget lamps made of polycarbonate"
From this video you will learn how to make your own polycarbonate lamps for a gazebo.
Inner Light
Among the options for indoor lighting are:
- wall sconces;
- ceiling lights;
- ordinary chandeliers;
- Chinese lanterns.
In this case, it is recommended to lead a 220 V power line into the gazebo, the easiest way is along the ground, protecting the cable with a mounting corrugation.
Wall sconces
The wall lamp is installed on a mounting plate, screwed on with self-tapping screws or dowels. Light can give both directional and all-round. Only the number of lighting points should be calculated in advance, based on the size and shape of the gazebo. The best option would be about 30 watts per square meter in the equivalent of traditional incandescent lamps.
Spot illumination
Gives a small amount of light, but looks very presentable. Such lighting will be the best option if the ceiling in the gazebo is sheathed with moisture-resistant plasterboard or the same clapboard. In general, installation will not be a problem if there is a "false ceiling" - behind it the wiring and the controller will be hidden.
It is worth noting that ceiling spotlights are of two types: with a convex diffuser and flat. The first option for street lighting is better, as it gives a diffused and brighter light.
LED Strip Light
The cheapest option, since in any automotive store you can buy such a tape at a price of 40-50 rubles per running meter.It is connected either through a special power supply unit, or directly into the 12 V network (the output current must be constant). The tape itself is attached with regular glue or double-sided adhesive tape. There are many ideas for using LED strip. Combined lighting can be done at all - both on the ceiling, and on vertical beams, and around the perimeter of the table. Such tapes are resistant to moisture, high temperature, ultraviolet light, and the average permissible service life is about 5 years.
Hidden lighting
Decorative lighting option. Light sources are mounted in a projecting box under the ceiling. Both LED strips and ceiling lights can be used. Such illumination gives little benefit, therefore it is recommended to combine it either with wall lamps or with any other point lighting.
The boxes can be mounted from fiber plasterboard or plastic panels. Such material should not be flammable. And if the ceiling is also sheathed with glossy plastic panels, then they will reflect the incoming light - a very beautiful effect is obtained.
Chinese lanterns
Fashion for them came relatively recently. They look fresh and attractive. In classic Chinese lanterns, there is not even a connection to electricity - candles are installed there. They are attached as suspended. You can even make such a lamp with your own hands from wood, driftwood and even ordinary clothespins. Traditional lanterns are a rounded wire frame covered on top with some kind of colored cloth or ornamented papyrus.
Timeless classics
The classic option is conventional chandeliers or pendant lights. Naturally, it is necessary to buy street ones, but they all have one significant drawback - this is the lighting of a small section of the gazebo. For example, if the building has a size of about 20 square meters, then you will need to mount at least 2-3 such chandeliers, each of which has several lamps.
One of the best options among chandeliers is forged, but they are quite expensive. The weight of the structure itself is also considerable, which complicates its installation. Plastic pendant lamps of an open type, without shades, will be cheaper.
And it is also worth considering that in the presence of lighting in the warm season, it is necessary to think about protection from insects, since in the evening the same moths and mosquitoes will actively fly into bright light. The best solution to the problem is to install mosquito nets or soft windows.